e350 passenger vans

[steveh2112]

there are many e350 passenger vans for sale in my area at the moment

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/4993628177.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5000335490.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/4993628177.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/4978601319.html

the 2nd one is older but has lower miles, the other around 300k miles which is a lot

i like the idea of a passenger van because it's finished inside and has lots or light. i worry a cargo van will be like living in a cave.

but my main concern is reliability and i worry that passenger vans, especially ones that live close to airports, are going to have a lot of short trips so a lot of use on the tranny and brakes.

any thoughts?

 

[GotSmart]

Brakes are easy to check. On a van with that kind of mileage, the transmission would have already been changed. Any fleet vehicle would be maintained regularly. Especially a commercial vehicle. DOT requires maintenance logs in all commercial passenger vehicles. CA is regulated more than other states.

Any used vehicle has a risk factor.

 

[SoulRaven]

That 2004 high top would make a great camper, and those top windows are sweet.

 

[RobBob]

Someone on this forum pointed out that passenger vans generally are less beat up, because they carry people and not loads of potentially very heavy cargo.

I, too, am debating passenger van vs. cargo van. A pre-finished interior with all the windows is nice & convenient, but seems less private (unless you cover some of those windows) and may cut down available living space a little because of all the trim. A cargo van is more of a blank slate, and with fewer windows, potentially more stealthy, but much more work to get it ready to go. If you find a deal on the right cargo van, you could always add more windows.

So much depends on one's personality and how much time and effort a person has to put into a project. Good luck with your choice!

RobBob

 

[Gary68]

at 300,000 miles any bearing,gear,seal or suspension component that has not been replaced needs to be replaced
i would want a stack of receipts
fleet and one owner vehicles are almost all ways better maintained
that hightop looks nice but they sure didn't add much info for someone trying to sell something

 

[Wabbit]

That 2004 high top would make a great camper, and those top windows are sweet.

Yeah, I like that one too. Was wondering too myself if 4k for the van and 2k into it mechanically would be a decent bet on a traveling van.

...at 300,000 miles any bearing,gear,seal or suspension component that has not been replaced needs to be replaced...

Any idea of a ballpark estimate on what the "should do" cost you mentioned would be? Not very car repair minded here.

 

[Gary68]

Any idea of a ballpark estimate on what the "should do" cost you mentioned would be? Not very car repair minded here.

if everything is original and has not been rebuilt... more then the van if you want dependable
at 300,000 the bearing,seals and gears or just worn out,but a that mileage there should be a nice stack of receipts so it would depend on what has all ready been done

 

[SoulRaven]

at 300,000 miles any bearing,gear,seal or suspension component that has not been replaced needs to be replaced
i would want a stack of receipts
fleet and one owner vehicles are almost all ways better maintained
that hightop looks nice but they sure didn't add much info for someone trying to sell something

Having formerly been in the transportation industry for over 40 years, the myth that fleet vehicles are well maintained is frequently not true.  The records are phony, and the only maintenance they get are when the vehicle is inop and even then just enough to get it back on the road.  Then when it's time to sell it, they get a fresh oil change.  I saw them run vehicles 50k+ between oil changes and the oil was as thick as honey.

After having been in the industry, I would never buy most fleet vehicles.

 

[masterplumber]

If your planning on traveling a lot, and not staying parked, which if I recall is your plan. I would try and find one with 120K to 140k on it. The passenger vans tend to go to 200K without major repairs pretty regularly, and as stated many times above, they tend to be better maintained if they are one owner or part of a fleet. If you're not planning on living in it, and by that I mean having everything you own in life with you, but are planning to just travel for an extended period of time. I think a passenger van would be fine, and the windows would definitely make it brighter inside for those inevitable days that it rains and you have to hang out. Curtains are an easy fix for privacy. Or Reflectex cut to fit in the windows you don't plan on needing to see out of. When I worked at a private school I bought several 15 passenger vans in the Denver and Colorado Springs area with 120K to 140K miles on them for between $3000, and $4000 . We would run them hard hauling kids to the mountains and Utah on adventure trips, including many many miles of rough dirt roads. They all ran well with just maintenance and minor repairs until just about 200K, and then it was like a timer went off and we couldn't ditch them fast enough.

 

[Gary68]

Having formerly been in the transportation industry for over 40 years, the myth that fleet vehicles are well maintained is frequently not true.  The records are phony, and the only maintenance they get are when the vehicle is inop and even then just enough to get it back on the road.  Then when it's time to sell it, they get a fresh oil change.  I saw them run vehicles 50k+ between oil changes and the oil was as thick as honey.

After having been in the industry, I would never buy most fleet vehicles.

very true,each company operates different but the one i worked for driving a isuzu box van it got maintainance like clock work